Get the Stats… Holidays that is!

Did you know that there are ten official statutory holidays in BC each year? These days can play a key role in team morale, company culture and provide some much needed work-life balance at the perfect time of year. Remember, holidays are important times in the year for everyone to take a break and enjoy spending time connecting with loved ones.

With some planning and being prepared for the unexpected situations, means that your team can rest a little easier and enjoy the time off. This month’s stat holiday is Family Day. Family Day is the newest holiday and the 2nd of 10 in the year. It comes in the heart of the winter months and is a great time to unwind, play and enjoy all that BC has to offer. This year it has moved to the 3rd Monday in February to align with the rest of the country. The 2019 date was February 18th.

If you are unsure of the other stat days in British Columbia they are:

New Year's Day – January 1

Family Day – February 18

Good Friday – April 19

Victoria Day – May 20

Canada Day- July 1

B.C. Day – August 5

Labour Day – September 2

Thanksgiving Day – October 14

Remembrance Day – November 11

Christmas Day – December 25

Contrary to popular belief, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday and Boxing Day are not statutory holidays.

To be eligible for statutory holiday pay an employee must:

Have been employed for 30 calendar days before the statutory holiday

Have worked or earned wages on 15 of the 30 days immediately before the statutory holiday.

Employees who work under an averaging agreement or variance at any time in the 30 days before the holiday do not have to meet the 15-day requirement.

There is no pay for ineligible employees and an employee who is not eligible for statutory holiday pay is not entitled to be paid an average day’s pay. If an ineligible employee works on a statutory holiday he or she may be paid as if it were a regular work day.

There are exclusions to specific groups such as managers, agriculture workers, some commission salespersons, and high technology professionals from the statutory holiday provisions of the Act.

When an employee is given a day off on a statutory holiday, or it fallson a regular day off, an eligible employee is entitled to be paid an average day’s pay.

An average day’s pay is calculated by dividing “total wages” earned in the 30 calendar days before the statutory holiday by the number of days worked.

Vacation days taken during this period count as days worked.

If you work on a stat holiday, an eligible employee is entitled to:

Be paid time-and-a-half for the first 12 hours worked and double-time for any work over 12 hours plus an average day’s pay.

If you wish to substitute statutory holidays, an employer and a majority of employees can agree to substitute another day off for a statutory holiday.

So we hope you enjoyed your BC Family Day and found something fun to do in your community!

Platinum Recruiting is a full-service recruiting agency right here in the Okanagan/ Thompson/Shuswap. We offer services related to both temporary and permanent placements. Our goal is to find the right person for each position based on the qualifications and aspirations of the candidate and needs and requirements of the company with cost effective, time saving and seamless process.

Disclaimer: Platinum Recruiting does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide for tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction.

Platinum Recruiting, formerly Platinum Personnel, is a privately owned company established in 1999 as a full-service personnel agency. Our team brings a combined 35 years’ experience within Personnel and Human Resources and we are skilled at providing quality candidates to businesses in all occupations and industries.